When I reached out my hand to introduce myself to a friend at a jewish youth group convention, I didn’t think twice about proudly displaying my Black Lives Matter (BLM) bracelet. My friend claimed that BLM was anti-zionist and anti-semitic.

Both racial equity and supporting my jewish community are of utmost importance to me. I never thought that supporting both would pose a challenge.

After the encounter, I felt uninformed and ignorant. I started researching as much as I could. I wanted to wholeheartedly support the movement I otherwise so strongly agreed with.

I found out that an organization called the Movement for Black Lives released a  platform consisting of their opinion on numerous topics in August of 2017. Among the topics covered in the platform, was the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The platform states that Israel is committing a “genocide” against the Palestinian people and is an “apartheid” state whose laws “sanction discrimination against the Palestinians.”

Although there have been many wrongs committed on both sides of the Israel Palestine issue, I believe it is inaccurate and malicious to accuse Israel of genocide, abuse, and discrimination. Using these terms creates a bias narrative that does not take into account the complexity and history of the middle eastern issue.

Jonathan Palmer, the executive director of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, a center that serves the black community of St. Paul, explained to me that there is a difference between the Movement for Black Lives, the organization that released the platform, and Black Lives Matter, the organization displayed on my bracelet.